Legacy
by Ryhan
Summary: In my first Inuyasha fanfic, I introduce five original characters. It starts out as a series of one-shots, and it time skips A LOT. I tried to write and publish the chapters in chronological order of the timeline of events in the Inuyasha world.
1. Katsurou

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagura disintegrated into dust, taken away by the wind she represented. He was silent and solemn as she disappeared, remembering the last words she had said to him.

"Take care of our son…"

_Son?_ Sesshoumaru asked himself. He was quiet as he thought about it. If it were true, the child could be no more than a few months old… if even that. Kagura had seemed to disappear for a while, but Sesshoumaru would never have guessed her reasons. Not that he would have cared. But the notion that he, Sesshoumaru, had a child, was absurd! The sorceress must have tricked him. Then again.. It was certainly possible.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said as he turned around, calling the imp to him. He looked at Rin before returning his gaze to his servant. "Take care of Rin."

"Y-yes, m'Lord.. But where are you going?"

"To find something." Giving no further explanation, and not expecting to be asked one, Sesshoumaru took flight. He followed Kagura's scent, what was left of it. But soon he picked up a trail. Nothing could escape the inuyoukai's sense of smell. Soon, he came across a small shack in the forest. It reeked of humans, but there was no one around. As he ventured away from the house, Kagura's scent grew stronger, but slowly became mixed with another scent: his own. They blended together in a completely new smell. With it came the crying of a child. Sesshoumaru found the place quickly; a hollowed out area in a rather large tree.

Inside was an infant - human in appearance but obviously not in blood. The child had a tuft of black hair and the same pointed ears of demons, but his eyes were quite unusual. They were not Sesshoumaru's gold, nor were they the fierce red of Kagura's. They were in between… almost amber in color. As Sesshoumaru approached, emotionless, the child stopped crying. He could not have been but a few months in age, but he was perceptive. Sesshoumaru reached out towards him, but a strong gust of wind seemed to blow between the two, until the child calmed.

Well, now he knew the truth. But what to do with the child? He certainly could not, and would not, care for it. It would be better off to leave it to the wilds. Sesshoumaru began to walk away, but another gust of wind pushed against him, as if taking him back to the tree. As Sesshoumaru looked at the boy, the smell of a human came to his nose. The inu yokai looked around, and heard the rustling of leaves.

"Who's there?" a voice called out. With a final glance towards his son, Sesshoumaru jumped into the trees, disappearing from sight as a middle-aged woman walked out of the brush. She had obviously heard Sesshoumaru's flight, and came straight to the tree. She heard the child crying, and peered in.

"Oh dear! What are you doing there, little one?" Immediately the woman put down the bundles she had been carrying and lifted the baby from its nest. "Did someone leave you here? Ah, not to worry," she said. Then she saw his ears, and knew he was youkai. Gasping, she started to place him back in the tree. As she did so, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

_Show me. Show me that foolish compassion that you humans seem to prize. Prove me wrong that humans cannot accept demons._

In truth, he did not believe the child should live. A child without parents is a miserable one, doomed to failure. But at the same time, he truly was his son, and Sesshoumaru could not just stand by while he was abandoned. Damn that Rin. She was beginning to soften him.

After several moments, the woman took the child again. "Demon or not… you are alone. But I'll raise you, and I'll raise you as a human, Katsurou." Sesshoumaru watched silently as she walked back to the small house.

_Katsurou._ Sesshoumaru cared not for the name. But he would likely never see the brat again, so it did not matter in the least to the demon. He jumped down from the tree, not sure why he hid in the first place. He, Sesshoumaru, would never hide. The youkai began to leave, until he smelled another demon around. _Take care of our son. Katsurou._ Sesshoumaru turned around in time to see a snake demon drop from a tree near the house. In one swift move, he unsheathed Tokijin and stabbed it, resulting in the demon letting out a gurgling hiss.

"What!" it cried, as it stared up at the dog demon.

"Leave this place. I will not tell you again."

"You! I know you!" the snake was obviously afraid.

"This place is my territory. I do not allow other demons near it. For your own safety I would advise you and all others to stay away." It was probably a gesture that was not necessary. Katsurou, at least to other demons, smelled enough of the well-feared Sesshoumaru to discourage any lesser demons coming by. A strong wind picked up again, circling the house, before dying down.

Sesshoumaru was not Katsurou's only protection.

* * *

"Katsurou! Hurry back!" his mother called out as Katsu left the house. He raised a hand in farewell, not turning to look, as he walked deeper into the forest. However, once he heard the door shut, he stole a glance behind him, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he smiled.

It had been over a decade, just over two in fact, since his mother had found him in the trunk of a tree. Katsurou had stopped aging somewhere around seventeen, but his mother had continued to grow old. His mother, slightly stooped and with graying hair, was still the same person though that he had known all his life. True that it had only been a few years since he stopped aging, and it would not be for several more before anyone else found that his years were far more than his looks, but he could feel the difference.

Katsu had grown into a fine young demon, raised by a human, but still a demon. He had the pointed ears that were so common among demons, and an unnatural beauty. His black hair he wore long but pulled into a ponytail high on his head. His face was the kind that was used to laughter, but could change into a serious, almost ruthless, expression in seconds. He was a master of wind, and could seem to command it with relative ease, yet he had an uncanny sense of smell.

He often hunted and gathered for his mother. As she grew older, she was less capable of doing so, and he often had to find food for himself anyways, as he found once he was older that he could not stomach most human foods. Katsurou ate it to be polite when in the company of humans, but ate very little. Suddenly he heard a noise in the brush beside him. In a flash he pulled out and opened his small fan, waving it towards the sound. Several blades of wind formed and went streaming towards the source, and he smiled. The demon placed the fan back in his sash and went to gather his kill.

The fan had been a gift from father. Apparently it had belonged to his real mother, but he could not remember her. It seemed that, every year, something would appear on the doorstep of their home, something different, like a gift. He rarely saw his father, and could count the number of times he caught a glimpse of him on one finger. Katsurou never heard him speak. But every year, without fail, something new would appear, be it clothes for him or his mother, or heirlooms of some sort.

"Ah! Come to think of it…" Katsurou mused as he collected the two rabbits he had decapitated, "Today should be that day.."

Suddenly Katsurou heard a scream from towards their house. Standing up, his eyes narrowed, ran home, riding on the wind where he could to speed his journey. When he reached the house, he dropped the hares, his eyes wide and his mouth open. "Mother!" he shouted, running to her, forgetting that he had heard sounds of blades being crossed behind the house. He only saw his mother, unconscious, on the front porch. When she did not wake, Katsurou clenched his teeth and ran through the house to the back.

The clashing of blades grew louder, and he began to recognize the scent. When he reached the back, he saw a tall, fair-skinned and silver-haired demon fighting… no, toying, with another demon. "Chichi-ue," Katsurou whispered as Sesshoumaru gained momentum on the ugly ogre. In a rage, Katsurou grabbed his fan and shouted, causing several blades to appear, lacerating the ogre. Sesshoumaru immediately ceased movement, standing there, watching the blood spew from the demon.

Then he calmly sheathed Tokijin and turned his head ever so slightly to Katsurou, who still stood there, breathing hard. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "They are getting more frequent," he said. "But to think that a demon like that is enough to make you so short of breath after a single attack is embarrassing."

Katsurou's narrowed eyes widened as his breathing steadied. Suddenly he broke out into a grin, laughing. The first time he ever heard his father speak, and it was an insult. It was enough to bring him to tears! "Ha! As if. The bloody demon just-" then he stopped. "Oh no, Mother!" Sesshoumaru regarded him emotionlessly as Katsu ran back into the house. They could both smell the stench of death.

Sesshoumaru would never enter into a human residence. It was beneath him. Instead, he waited outside, until Katsu returned, tears streaming down his face. "Humans die. It is a natural thing," Sesshoumaru said coldly.

Katsurou, who had lived with humans all his life, knew the difference between him and all the others, but despite his being a demon, he still lived with a human's heart. He was dumbfounded at his father's words. After all, Sesshoumaru's scent had always been mingled with humans', ever since Katsu could remember. Of course, that human scent was just always of one person.

However, Katsu did as he was told, and Sesshoumaru turned around. "You have nothing tying you down here anymore," he said. Katsu stared in amazement, then suddenly reached up to catch a sword that tossed his way. He caught it deftly, confusion on his face, as he looked at it.

"My father left two swords behind, because he no longer needed them. I have three swords. That one," he said, "is yours. It requires a powerful demon to wield, but not necessarily in power. Do what you want." Believing everything had been said that needed to be said, Sesshoumaru began to walk off.

Katsu blinked a few times. "Ah.. Wait, chichi-ue!" he called, running after him like a child. Sesshoumaru stopped and looked back out of the corner of his eye, causing Katsu to stop. The boy grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah… can't I come with you? I mean.. I've never used a sword before, and could use some tips!"

"Do what you want," Sesshoumaru repeated, and continued to walk away. Katsurou raised an eyebrow, figuring that was about the only response Sesshoumaru would give. Shrugging, Katsu attached the sword to his back so that the hilt could be seen over his left shoulder, and followed him.

"What did you mean, 'this one?'" He asked, in regards to the sword. It was a long time before Sesshoumaru spoke again.

"My mate, Rin," was all he said, and Katsu's eyes widened in understanding before he grinned again. "I'm going to be a big brother!"


	2. Kimiyo

Kimiyo did not know who her parents were, nor did she particularly care. At least, on the outside she didn't. On the inside, her heart burned with the hatred of not knowing. She knew a great many things, though. She was youkai, and powerful. Though she had no weapon save her own innate powers, that was more than enough against the humans and lesser demons her path led to. Kimiyo knew that she must once have had a "mother" because, well, even a youkai infant cannot survive alone. But whether that mother was dead or just gone was anyone's guess. Kimiyo also knew that her name meant "Empress." And so, "The Empress" is what she became known as throughout the land.

Kimiyo kept her silver hair long at first, as it was a source of vanity for her. It was unbound, but beautiful, and her fierce eyes were cold and distant. The youkai had learned at an extremely early age the weakness of humans and her superiority over them, and as a result, did not care for them in the slightest. Though she did not go out of her way to kill them, anyone who was in her way found themselves dead before they realized what was happening.

"Irritating," she said, as another lowly demon was sliced up as a result of her claws. She cracked her knuckles and kept walking, her silver hair streaming out behind her. Kimiyo was dressed well- after all, she was "The Empress" of these lands. Everything she had she had stolen from some of the daimyo, and there was even one feudal lord who actually paid homage to her, out of fear. Not bad for a youkai barely in her fiftieth year, even though she looked to be in her mid twenties. Her kimono was a deep, blue color, but even though she often wore the kimono typical of females, she mainly wore hakama like most samurai. She only wore the tight, movement-restricting kimono when she visited her daimyo for their offering.

Today she wore a red and white kosode and hakama. The sleeves were quite long and hid her sharp nails from view. As she paused on the road, a wind picked up, blowing her hair across her face. Calmly she turned to face the wind. "That smell…"

Suddenly, Kimiyo sped towards the village she had just left.

* * *

"I'll show you what happens when you pay homage to a demon!" the samurai leader shouted, as he raised his katana over his head.

The daimyo cowered in fear. "Please.. No! Y-You don't understand!"

"I understand that you've been currying favor with a demon! An inu, no less!"

"I swear, it's only so that our village is not destroyed! I had to do something to keep the demon from killing us all!"

The samurai kicked the daimyo over. "Then let Hell take you! I would imagine it better than being in service to some _creature_. I know that it's not only trying to keep yourselves alive! Dogs are often very protective of their territory, you make offerings to it in exchange for protection!"

"I-It's not what you think! You.. You are samurai from the Western Lands, are you not? Surely you must know what it is like to live under a youkai!"

"Aye, I do," the samurai agreed, nodding. Then he suddenly kicked the cowering man again. "But never do I pay that bastard Sesshoumaru homage!"

Without further hesitation, the samurai gave the signal for his men to attack. No one would be spared from this assault. One of his commanders rode up to him. "Filthy demons," the samurai said, spitting on the ground, watching the feudal lord scream in anguish over the village's destruction. "And filthy too are the humans who serve them!"

Kimiyo arrived in the village amidst smoke and fire. Her silver hair fell behind her in a graceful, unbound way, and her eyes glowed with rage. Outside of this, however, her face showed no emotion as she walked up to the samurai. Now, Kimiyo was quite tall. Nearly six feet, in fact. She had never known another demon such as herself, surprisingly, and so she did not know if this was normal or not. However, she was quite a bit taller than the samurai who led the attack, and was nearly as tall as the mounted commander. When they heard her, the samurai turned around, a malicious grin on his face, but one that quickly disappeared.

He gasped and stumbled backwards. "Sesshoumaru!" he cried, falling to his knees. He may have hated the taiyoukai, but he was not stupid. "Forgive me, my Lord, we acted without permission."

Kimiyo's eyes flashed, returning to their normal color. "Who is this Sesshoumaru?" she demanded.

The samurai looked up, obviously startled by the strong, female voice. Not what he was expecting. In that moment, the man saw his freedom and his chance. He smirked.

"Lady," he said, showing as much respect as he could muster. "Sesshoumaru is the inu taiyoukai who rules the Western Lands. He is not unlike yourself, Lady," he added. _No.. she is like the spitting image of that damn dog demon._

"Never have I heard of him, nor likely him of me."

"Nay, Lady. You might not have. For he has only just recently returned to these lands." Kimiyo cut him off, however, with a glare. She looked past him at the fire and destruction, and at the unseeing eyes of the dead feudal lord.

"What reason have you to attack my territory?" she demanded, her rage growing again. When the samurai stuttered, Kimiyo grabbed him by the throat with such lightning speed and ferocity that the wind was knocked out of the man as he struggled against her. Her grip was too strong, however. "Answer me, human!"

"Lord!" several men shouted, but Kimiyo fixed them with a glare that kept them away, and they dared not come any closer as the youkai held their leader above her head. Her eyes began to glow bright red again and the energy around her became dense.

"Answer me!" she shouted. The man tried to speak, and so she loosened her hold just enough to allow him.

"L-Lord Sesshoumaru ordered it!" he said in a desperate lie. "H-he wants to expand his territory, he demanded we take this village!" Kimiyo seemed to calm down. Lazily she tossed the man away as if he were nothing more than a sack of grain. Without saying anything more, Kimiyo turned and walked away, leaving the village to burn to the ground.

The men rushed to their leader, who was slipping in and out of unconsciousness. "She really does… look just like him.." the man said before passing out completely.

Kimiyo walked away, her face emotionless for a while. " 'Killing perfection,' eh?" she said to herself. A smirk made its way onto her features. "Sounds formidable. But he should know not to take over my territory. For that, he will most certainly pay." The inu youkai walked out of the village, her glare fixated on the path before her. 'The Empress' would make 'Killing perfection' pay for his insolence. She had only to find him. She did not seem daunted by either his name nor his title. That ignorant human had called him a taiyoukai, and Kimiyo knew enough about her demon heritage to know that not just any demon inherited that title.


	3. Kimiyo: First Encounter

"It's her! Quick, run for it!"

Kimiyo had been steadily picking off the smaller villages on the outskirts of the Western Lands, supposedly ruled by a demon named Sesshoumaru. However, she had yet to make her point clear, because no matter how many villages Kimiyo destroyed, Sesshoumaru paid her no heed. On top of that, they all said the same thing: Here comes the Killing Perfection.

This man that she held by the throat had said the same thing to her, and it was starting to irritate her. "Where is Sesshoumaru!" she demanded, but the man only shrugged. She shook him in anger and dropped him to the ground. Because she had met virtually no resistance, she had been claiming the destroyed villages as her own, in hopes of drawing this demon out. But no one came.

"Lady, please!" a woman cried. "Lord Sesshoumaru has gone… we do not know when he will be back!"

"Then tell me where he has gone! Or shall I wait for him here until he returns?"

"N-No! He.. He has gone towards the Forest of Inuyasha I think… I don't know for sure!" Kimiyo glared at the woman, then turned and left, saying nothing more. Her silver hair flared out behind her as she walked. Outside she was calm and collected. Inside she was fuming. How dare he ignore her like this? She would show him… by the time he returned, he would have lost his entire southern border to the Empress.

* * *

"My Lord! There is news from the West!" Jaken ran clumsily up to where Sesshoumaru stood. As usual, his quiet composure was unnerving as he turned to look at Jaken. Rin looked out from in front of Sesshoumaru.

"Ah, Master Jaken is here too, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course, you stupid girl! I go everywhere with Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru said, creating silence.

Jaken jumped and knelt, his face buried in the grass. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama! It will not happen again!"

"The news from the West."

"Oh! Yes! It appears there is some demon running around, calling herself "Empress" and is… well," Jaken shuffled slightly, not sure how to continue. However, Sesshoumaru's gaze pierced through him. "I'm sorry! She is taking over some of the villages at the border, impeding on the Western Lands! They say she is a ruthless inu youkai!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he frowned, turning to face Jaken completely. "We're leaving." Rin blinked and looked up at Sesshoumaru. She was growing much taller now, and actually stood past his waist, whereas before she barely reached it.

"So soon, my Lord?" she asked, slightly disappointed but mostly curious. Sesshoumaru nodded and looked at her. Rin returned his gaze with a happy smile. "Then I will wait for you! Go get that demon, Lord Sesshoumaru!" she said with excitement, as she began to run back towards the village. Sesshoumaru watched her with a vague smile on his lips, before he too turned to leave, stepping on Jaken as he did so.

Suddenly Rin turned around. "Hurry back Lord Sesshoumaru, Master Jaken!" she shouted, waving. Sesshoumaru did not stop or slow, but kept walking.

"Jaken," he said, and the little imp rushed towards him, grabbing onto his tail at the last second before Sesshoumaru took to the air. Rin watched him until she could no longer see him, then went back to Kaede's hut, where Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting.

* * *

"Welcome back, Rin!" Kagome said. "Did Sesshoumaru leave you another present?" Rin nodded, pulling out a bead necklace that had been his most recent gift, causing Kagome to gasp. "Oh Rin it's beautiful! Let me put it on you!"

"Tch.." was Inuyasha's only comment.

"Hey, just because you don't get me nice things doesn't mean you have to sulk every time Sesshoumaru brings something for Rin!" Kagome scolded, causing Rin to laugh. Kagome joined in. "So, Rin, how is Sesshoumaru? He won't talk to me ever since I started calling him onii-san!"

"Ah, he's doing well! But.. Apparently there's some trouble in the West, he had to run quickly to take care of it." At this, Inuyasha's ears twitched, and he sat up, staring at Rin.

"Trouble in the old man's territory? Like what?"

Rin sat down. "Another dog demon is running loose in Lord Sesshoumaru's territory. He had to go see what was going on." Kagome looked troubled by this, and she turned to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha… don't you think you should go? I mean.. I know Sesshoumaru is the taiyoukai, but you're his brother and the former taiyoukai's son." Inuyasha closed his eyes and leaned back, obviously not caring.

"Sesshoumaru can do what he wants, and take care of himself. He won't want me poking my nose in where it don't belong." This answer was apparently not the right one, because Kagome hit him on the head with her fist. "Ow! What was that for, Kagome!"

"If you're not going, then I am!" Kagome said, standing up and grabbing her bow and arrows. "Rin-chan, do you want to come?"

"H-Hey! You can't just make these decisions by yourself!"

* * *

The land had indeed been scarred from this demon's attacks. Sesshoumaru landed right in the middle of one such devastated village, and upon his arrival, the humans went scattering. Sesshoumaru heard shouts of "She's back!" until they realized who it was they were speaking to. And even then they dared not confront the great dog demon. Sesshoumaru looked around.

"Jaken."

"Y-Yes, my Lord!" Jaken scrambled to Sesshoumaru's side.

"Find out what happened," he demanded. Jaken bowed and went to work finding humans who would even speak to him. Sesshoumaru stood there, taking in the sights. There was a lingering odor of poison, and the ground was slashed as if by whips. His eyes narrowed. "This scent…" The wind picked up and he got a better taste of the scent of the demon. Suddenly his eyes widened. _I know this smell… _he thought as he heard footsteps behind him.

Calmly, he turned, his face becoming emotionless again. His gaze ventured until he found himself staring…

At himself.

Or at least, a female version of himself, was the only way to say it. The youkai who stood before him was almost his height, though obviously shorter, and obviously female. Her hair was long and silver, just like his, and her eyes were golden. She had a blue crescent moon on her forehead and the four stripes on her cheeks were there as well, but smaller and not as pronounced. Only the clothes were so different. Kimiyo's eyes were wide and round, shock apparent on her beautiful face.

"Y-You…" she said softly, standing there. Sesshoumaru regarded her coldly. He did not know that he had a child. He was never told. At least fifty years had passed since any encounter that could have resulted in an inu child, yet how had he not discovered her? He had thought Katsurou was his first child... apparently he was mistaken. Kimiyo walked towards him. "Your scent.."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Are you the one who has been invading my territory?" he demanded.

Kimiyo instantly reverted back into her rage. She raised her arm and her nails began to glow with a sickening green. In a flash she was attacking, but Sesshoumaru flew backwards, evading all of her fruitless attacks. "You think you can kill me?" he asked, flipping around behind her and hitting her across the face.

Kimiyo went flying, and Sesshoumaru calmly landed. "You dare to put your scent all over these lands? How foolish of a child…" he said as he approached her.

"And you.. You reek of humans!" Kimiyo said, disgusted. "You call yourself a taiyoukai? You, who associates with trash? I'm ashamed to be born of your blood!" the female demon said as she stood up and rushed towards him once more. This time, however, Sesshoumaru drew his sword, Tokijin. He had it re-forged for some reason, even though he had the Bakusaiga now. Tenseiga was on the opposite hip.

As Kimiyo rushed him, Sesshoumaru sidestepped and struck her across the side, drawing blood, but not enough to kill her. It was enough, however, to end the fight. Kimiyo lay on the ground, her teeth clenched as she glared up at her father. He stared down at her, then sheathed Tokijin. "You should know what happens to demons who enter my realm," he said coldly, and Kimiyo braced herself as he walked towards her.

Tenseiga seemed to pulse as he came near. Sesshoumaru pulled out the odd sword, sheath and all, and dropped it at her head. "Learn to use a sword, and maybe one day you'll be able to fight with me on even terms. Though," he added as an afterthought, "You don't seem the disciplined type. What's your name?" he demanded.

"Kimiyo," she said softly.

Jaken came running just as Sesshoumaru walked away from the defeated inu. "S-Sesshoumaru-sama!" he exclaimed.

"Come, we are leaving."

"Yes, my Lord!" Jaken said. Then, as they walked out of the village, Jaken looked back at the inu, who was starting to sit up, as she grasped the Tenseiga. "My Lord, I do not doubt your wisdom, but are you sure about leaving that child with the Tenseiga?"

"I have no use for that sword anymore. But it is my family's and so should stay in our bloodline."

"Yes, my Lord-" Jaken stopped, his jaw literally dropping. "F-F-Family!"

* * *

A/N: Please note that this and the previous chapters do take place after Katsurou was born, but he's only a few years old now. Part of chapter one actually takes place after chapters two and three. Chapter four will resume where one left off! I hope this does not confuse anyone! Bear with me! Once the introductions are done it will be more like a series of one-shots. Each chapter will likely be a separate adventure for each character.


	4. Katsurou: Family

"Where is Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded as he paced outside of Kaede's hut. Kagome giggled at his antics.

"He'll be here. He did not miss Hina-chan's birth, did he?" Kagome asked, nodding towards the little four year old playing in the dirt.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Yea, and it took nearly a fight to allow anyone around Rin when it happened." Inuyasha's human half kept him from being that way with his own children, but with most demons, they tended to get territorial when their mate gave birth, especially the human ones. Kagome chuckled. Myoga had told her the story of Inuyasha's father, when Inuyasha was born. The Lady Izayoi had ordered everyone to leave the castle, because Inuyasha's father would probably have killed every last one of them had they still been there. Rin was now the same age as Izayoi was when she had Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru had been nearly the same way. Inuyasha had to almost drive him away with force, which left him with more than a few bruises and cuts. The two brothers fought like wolves over a scrap of meat until Kagome came out carrying Hina, which caused Sesshoumaru to stop, and look at her, his eyes uncharacteristically wide.

" 'She's just fine, see for yourself,'" she said, smiling, holding the infant out to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru had barely glanced at the child, but sheathed his sword and raced towards where Rin was. It was the first and only time he had ever entered a human's residence.

Inuyasha grumbled to himself and settled down in the dirt. Hina stood up and ran over to him, pulling at his ears happily. Inuyasha responded in kind. He was quite fond of his niece, actually. She, a hanyou, resembled him more than she resembled either of her parents. She had silver hair and gold eyes like his entire family, but she had the same ears that he did. Kagome smiled and went inside, where her own daughter was staying with Rin for the time being.

Hina laughed loudly as she and Inuyasha played. She went to playfully attack him, but never succeeded, as Inuyasha grabbed her gently by the leg and lifted her off the ground. Hina hung there, upside down, laughing, until she stopped suddenly. Her golden eyes grew wide and her smile disappeared, as if she was straining to see something behind Inuyasha. Then, her smile returned tenfold.

"Uncle Inu! It's papa! Papa's come back!"

"Eh?" Inuyasha said as he turned around, still holding Hina by the leg. "EH! Ouch!" he shouted as Hina pulled up and bit his hand, causing him to drop her. She landed with a roll though, and quickly recovered, running towards the approaching Sesshoumaru, her arms out wide.

"Tou-san, tou-san!" she shouted. When she drew close, she stopped, smiling up at him. Sesshoumaru walked past her, but Hina grabbed onto his tail and would not let go. Sesshoumaru did not seem to mind. The inu taiyoukai continued to walk forward, stopping when he reached Inuyasha.

"Hey.. Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. It was then he noticed the person following him, and Inuyasha immediately began to draw Tessuaiga. "You! You look just like.. Kagura!" he said with a growl. Katsurou merely smiled and waved.

Sesshoumaru glanced at his brother, then looked ahead. It was about the only greeting Inuyasha would get, and he knew it, but there was still the matter of Katsurou. "Hina," Sesshoumaru said, interrupting the girl's laughter.

"Yes, tou-san?" she asked excitedly.

"Why don't you… go see how your mother is."

Hina nodded. "Kay!" she said as she jumped down from climbing the fluffy tail. As she landed, she ran up to Katsurou, seemingly unafraid. In turn, the demon looked down at her happily. "Mama's having a baby! I'll be a big sister today!"

Katsurou chuckled and bent down, crouching on his toes. He put a hand on his little sister's head, between her ears, rubbing it fondly. "Well, congratulations, little sister… I mean, _big sister_!" he said, smiling. Hina's eyes were wide, then she smiled and ran off towards the house, shouting something about big brother and father arriving. Katsurou stood up and crossed his arms. "Chichi-ue, she is hanyou, correct?" he asked curiously.

Inuyasha immediately went on the defensive, shouldering Tessuaiga and putting the other hand on his hip. His gold eyes were narrowed as he glared at Kagura's son. "Yea, what of it? You got some kind of problem with half-demons?"

"Silence, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said. His eyes were fixed intently on the hut where Rin was.

Katsurou chuckled, holding his hands up in his defense. "I meant no harm, Uncle, it was an inquiry, is all. She resembles you, it seems."

"Uncle?" Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He turned to Sesshoumaru. "Oi, how many kids do you got, Sesshoumaru? Does Rin know about this one?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "What a foolish question," was Sesshoumaru's only response. Katsurou sighed. His father was indeed one of few words.

"I find humans and hanyou quite fascinating, Oji-san. I myself am of half blood, yet full demon still. My mother," Katsurou stopped, then laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "ah, apologies. The woman who raised me, was human. I grew up in a human village, for the most part, but we lived alone. I've never actually seen a true hanyou before!"

"Hmph." Inuyasha sheathed his sword. "You look just like Kagura, and you seem to have some of the same markings of the old man." It was unclear as to whether or not Inuyasha meant Sesshoumaru, or their own father. "You're obviously their son but you certainly don't act like it." Suddenly Katsurou was in Inuyasha's face, with the excitement of a child.

"You knew my mother? Tell me, what was she like? Was she powerful? Was she beautiful?"

Inuyasha blinked, edging away slowly. "Ehh… Sesshoumaru should be the one to tell you," he said, glancing hopefully at his older half brother. However, Sesshoumaru paid them no heed. His eyes were focused on the house. Only a few moments after Hina went in, she came out again, accompanied by Inuyasha's daughter, Hitomi. Hitomi was more human than any of her cousins, for she only had a fourth demon's blood in her. Her eyes were gold, like her demon family's, but her hair was short and black, and her ears almost normal. They may have had a slight sharpness to them.

When she came out, she stopped, even as Hina ran to her father with her arms open wide. She bowed. "Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said politely. Even though her father was borderline rude to his brother, and her mother called him 'big brother' all the time, Hitomi was polite to him. She may not have been fully demon, but she felt that, as the only full-blooded demon in her immediate family, he was the head of their family. Besides, here stood a demon capable of ripping her to shreds, an inu taiyoukai, the Lord of the Western Lands. Better to show respect than to not.

Hina playfully climbed her father's kimono and came to wrap her small arms around his neck, peeking over his shoulder. Her silver hair blended with his as she grinned down at Hitomi. Katsurou smiled up at her again. Suddenly there was a loud moan. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and flared red for a moment, as he rushed towards the house. Hina lost her grip and began to tumble to the ground, but Katsurou was quick on the uptake. A light wind stopped her fall and carried her over to him, where he took hold of her. She looked up at him with awe, then laughed.

"Sesshoumaru! OUT, NOW!" Came Kagome's reprimand. Seconds later, Sesshoumaru flew out of the door backwards, an incredibly sour frown on his face. Katsurou and Inuyasha blinked a few times.

"Insufferable woman," Sesshoumaru growled, cracking his knuckles as Hitomi gasped and ran back into the small building.

"Hina-chan! Let's go play over here, shall we?" Katsurou said cheerfully, carrying the girl by her wrists as she swung back and forth.

"Kay!"

"Damn her," Sesshoumaru continued. "Humans are impossible!"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed. "Rin's human.. You realize, that, don't you?"

Several feet away, Katsurou had sat down cross-legged on the ground. Tokijin lay beside him, and Hina sat in front of him. They played hand games common among humans, as Katsurou had grown up learning them just as Hina had. Katsurou thoroughly enjoyed this. He had never known family outside of the human who raised him, and the brief and few encounters with his father while he was growing up. And here he was, with his little sister, playing games while his father's mate was about to give birth to another little sibling.

"I'm glad I get to know them," he said to himself.


	5. Hina

Laughter filled the small village as the children ran around playing games. The ones who were old enough to work in the fields did so, but the younger ones were exempt from much work. This included Hitomi, Inuyasha's youngest daughter, and the very young Hina, daughter of Sesshoumaru and Rin. Hina resembled Inuyasha greatly, much to the ire of Sesshoumaru, but he doted on Hina nonetheless, nearly as much as he doted on Rin. Hina was growing up happy and carefree, being accepted easily by the village, who had long since accepted Inuyasha and his children. Unfortunately for the other children, and much to the dismay of Rin, Kagome, and Inuyasha, Hina was quite adventurous, even for a child of three years.

Hina was, in one word, adorable. She was sweet and could make just about anyone smile. True to her heritage, she had long silver hair and golden eyes, and like a miniature Inuyasha, two white dog ears on the top of her head. Her appearance was somewhat of a sore spot for Sesshoumaru, though he would never admit it aloud, but he loved her greatly. He often brought her little gifts and trinkets, without fail, every few days when he could. Rarely would a week go by without Hina and Rin seeing him.

Unfortunately, Hina may not have lived to see the age of five. Her wild streak was the source of many headaches, for her uncle especially, and much heartbreak for her mother. It was one night, on a new moon, when Hina woke up in the middle of the night. Inuyasha had been watching over her that evening, but becoming human for the night had taken its toll. Hina crawled out of her small bed and tiptoed past her sleeping uncle. She had quickly become a master at hiding even from Inuyasha.

It had just so happened that the next day was Hina's birthday, and she knew this. After all, her father had just come that day with several little things for her and Rin- all of which had been snatched up by Kagome, Inuyasha, and Rin before Hina had a chance to see them. The girl had not even really gotten to see her father but for a brief moment. He promised he would come back the next day (or at least, he had made no such promise but her mother had fervently insisted that he was coming) but Hina was impatient, as all small children were. She wanted to see him _now_, and of course wanted to take a peek at all the things he had gotten for her.

Of course, what had weighed most heavily on Hina's mind was wanting to see Sesshoumaru. She loved her mother, and the two were very close, but she was certainly her father's daughter, and loved him dearly. She had, all day that day, the feeling that her father had not really left the village, and this game of hide and seek was bound to be a good one.

Hina tiptoed through the house until she reached the doorway, which was blocked only by a bamboo shade, which she could easily push aside. The hanyou grinned mischievously as she did so, but after exiting, was hit ever so slightly in the backside by the shade swinging back into place. It had even snagged her clothes a bit, but she did not cry. She had to be quiet if she was going to play hide and seek with someone as good at the game as her father!

"Where would papa be hiding?" she wondered to herself as she looked up at the starry night sky. Smiling, her eyes wide with excitement, she tiptoed on out around the house, peering ever so carefully around the corner before heading towards the Forest of Inuyasha. Once she felt like she was a sufficient ways away from the hut, she started to skip happily.

"Papa, where are you, where are you, Hina will find you!" she sang quietly and happily, completely oblivious to the glowing eyes that disappeared into the forest, watching her. In fact, she walked right by them without ever noticing something strange. The child continued to sing and skip her way, but as she got deeper and deeper into the forest, her skip became a little less cheerful and her song a little less loud.

Pretty soon, Hina found herself completely and utterly lost, in the dark, without a moon to shed any light into the forest. It was here that the beast following her decided it was as good a time as any to grab her, and he did so, but with much less grace than described. The lumbering ogre came out of the bushes, startling Hina, drawing her wide-eyed and frightful gaze on him. He was several times bigger than her; after all, she was just a small child of only a few years, and he was a full grown demon.

"Well well, little hanyou.. Don't tell me you're lost, and out here all alone?"

Hina backed up, biting her finger. "N-No…. my papa is here with me!"

"Oh hoh, is that so? And just where is he then?" the ogre taunted, looking around for him. "I don't see him anywhere.. Must be a cowardly human, I don't blame him for not wanting to mess with me!"

The crying immediately stopped, replaced with the anger of a small girl who was lost, scared, and above all absolutely adored her father. "My papa is NOT afraid of an ugly thing like you! He's the most powerful person in the whole world, even more so than Uncle Inu and Uncle Inu is STRONG."

This did not seem to dampen the ogre's spirits, however, and he continued to advance on the girl. "Never mind that; he's still not here, is he? And I seem to have forgotten the sweet taste of hanyou children in my long years.." This was accompanied by a ferocious, toothy grin, which made Hina gasp.

Without thinking, Hina jumped and ran, running with all her might as fast as she could, but it only served to get her even more lost. In her frantic search for an escape, or her father, she was not paying attention to where she was going. She knew she was getting near the edge of the forest; she could see plains and fields in her line of sight. Smiling, she ran even harder.

Then she tripped and fell; dangerously near a cliff, and she turned around to see the ogre closing in. "Don't think you can run from me, girl! I know your scent too well for that now," he added.

Hina crawled backwards, but as she did so, the cliff beneath her started to crumble. When it did, she fell, out of the reach of the demon, but certainly to her death.

"Tch.. What a waste of a good meal," the ogre said. "By the time I get to her she won't be no good no more." And with that, turned his back and left.

* * *

Sesshoumaru had heard the scream from nearby. Jaken was not with him, as Sesshoumaru was often alone when he visited Rin and Hina now. Jaken had more important things to worry about than some "hanyou pup" as he complained to everyone who would listen. Save his Lord Sesshoumaru, of course. Even though Jaken outwardly seemed to despise Hina, he had the same relationship with her that he had had with Rin so many years before. He rather enjoyed her antics sometimes, even if they were at his expense, and when he was there, he was as protective of her as he had been of Rin. Of course only because Sesshoumaru would kill him if something happened to her. Of course… that was certainly the reason!

Regardless of either Sesshoumaru's, Jaken's, Rin's, or anybody else's true feelings and what was said aloud, Sesshoumaru doted on Hina and was unusually protective of her. It was almost like having Rin back, like she was when she was small. No doubt Hina was Rin's duplicate in personality if nothing else.

So, when Sesshoumaru, who was wandering the forest until dawn came, heard the ear piercing scream, his eyes lazily turned towards the direction of the sound. His first thought was of Rin, because how many times had she screamed and he rescued her? The memory made the corner of his mouth twitch ever so slightly. Then, he remembered.. Rin was not a child anymore, she was his mate. This scream was decidedly a child, and that was when it dawned on him. _Hina._

Sesshoumaru's speed increased, if that were possible, towards the source.

* * *

Hina lay on a small ledge, only unconscious for a moment or two, before her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up. Her ears twitched, listening intently for sounds, then she looked around to see where she was. Not recognizing the place, she did the only thing a child could do. She cried. Not sniffling, quiet, puppy tears. She let loose; the cliffs seemed to echo with it. After a moment of this, she tired herself out, her crying dwindling down to a few sniffles.

"Papa.." she cried, hugging her legs to her chest, and burying her face on her knees, still crying. Suddenly she felt a gust of wind surround her, and the sound of someone landing on the cliff. Timidly, afraid that the giant ogre demon had found her, she snuck a peek. Standing before her was indeed a large demon, but one that was much more familiar. And much more kind.

"Papa!" Hina exclaimed, jumping up immediately and running (albeit with the slightest of limps) to the tall and proud yokai. She threw her small arms around his leg and buried her tear-stained face in the soft cloth.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her, then looked up at the cliff where she had fallen. His eyes widened just slightly and his mouth opened. "Hina… did you fall from up there?"

Hina looked up at Sesshoumaru in confusion, then followed his gaze to the cliff before nodding. Sesshoumaru said nothing more. The cliff was at least three times his own height; if not more. No doubt that he or Inuyasha could survive that fall, not that he would be so careless as to fall in the first place, but a human could not survive it, no way. Hina was, of course, half-demon, but a child of barely four years.

Hina grinned; she did not know for sure, but she had a feeling her father was having one of his few proud moments. Without a word, Sesshoumaru scooped her up, cradling her in one arm like he had done Rin a long time ago. Hina smiled and buried her face in his chest, and within moments, was fast asleep. Sesshoumaru turned around; the sun was just starting to come up.

"Let's get you home," he said quietly. He looked down at the sleeping hanyou, and his expression could not help but soften, his mouth could not help producing the faintest smile. Of course, no one but he and the sun saw this, and neither would likely tell a soul.


	6. Hina: Celebration

"Hina-chan!"

"Hina-chan!"

"Where are you!"

These shouts and more rang out in Inuyasha and Kagome's village, where everyone had awoken to find the youngest hanyou of the village missing. Rin was beside herself with worry, and Kagome sat with her while Inuyasha led the search for his niece.

The search continued for a while. "Hina!" he shouted. He went down on all fours, sniffing out her trail. It took him a while, but he found it. "Kagome! I'm going to follow the trail! You stay here in case she comes back!"

"Alright, Inuyasha," Kagome agreed. Kagome went back inside the hut then, where she had left Rin just moments earlier. "Don't worry, Rin, we'll find her-" she started, but Rin was now gone too. Kagome gasped and ran outside. "Inuyasha! Rin is missing now too!"

"What? She was just here!"

The village was in an uproar. Even though Hina was half-demon, she was well loved amongst all the adults, despite not having many playmates. Suddenly, everything grew quiet when someone spotted Sesshoumaru flying over the village. "Quick, it's Sesshoumaru!" There were many shouts of "hide" and "run away" for fear of what might become of them when the inu taiyokai found out his daughter, and now his mate, were both missing.

In fact, many villagers did go inside to say their last goodbyes to their own loved ones. Only Inuyasha, Kagome, their children, and a few others, stayed. When Sesshoumaru landed, he regarded them coolly. Inuyasha swallowed and stepped forward.

"Sesshoumaru.. Listen, we have a problem." Inuyasha began, but stopped when something moved behind Sesshoumaru. Out from behind her father's legs, Hina peered, her dog ears twitching nervously.

"Hina," Sesshoumaru said sternly.

"H-hai…" the girl returned, dejected. She walked slowly out from behind him and towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "Where's mama.. I'm supposed to apologize for worrying her."

"Worrying her! What about us? You had the whole village frantic!" Inuyasha said, but he stopped when Hina started to cry. Kagome interrupted him and knelt down in front of Hina.

"Well, it's alright now, right, Hina-chan? You're back, after all."

"Inuyasha," came Sesshoumaru's voice. "Where is Rin?"

Both Inuyasha and Kagome froze, and exchanged glances. "Eh, well, you see Sesshoumaru.." Inuyasha said nothing more because Sesshoumaru's eyes began to glow red in warning. Then suddenly Kagome pointed.

"Look, it's Rin!" Hina and Sesshoumaru turned. Rin came wandering up, her kimono torn in a few places and her eyes downcast.

"Mama!" Hina shouted happily, and ran to her, arms wide. Rin looked up, still as if in a daze, and when Hina came to her, she sank to her knees and enveloped Hina in such a hug that Hina had to adjust her self so she could breath. Rin was crying. "Mama.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you still scared, mama?"

Rin shook her head and pulled away from Hina, looking at her lovingly. "No, I'm not scared anymore." Sesshoumaru stepped towards them, causing Rin to look up and smile. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she said happily, "Have you come to celebrate Hina-chan's birthday?" Without anymore words the incident was forgotten, as were Inuyasha and the others.

"How do you like that? Just shoved aside like we were nothing'!" the hanyou said, crossing his arms and mumbling. Kagome smiled, scooping Hitomi in her own arms.

The rest of Hina's birthday was relatively uneventful. The family, and many villagers, celebrated Hina's birthday, and many kinds of sweets were passed around, to which Hina helped herself to quite a good bit of. Sesshoumaru, of course, did not eat, nor did he exactly partake in the festivities, except to let Hina ride around on his shoulders as she pleased. At one point, somehow, Hina and Rin had even managed to create several flower accessories for him; Hina made a crown, for herself, Sesshoumaru, and Rin, while Rin was busy making flower rings for them.

Sesshoumaru actually allowed Rin and Hina to put these creations on him, to the surprise of the others. Although he was obviously not happy about it, and Inuyasha said as much, receiving a wild swing from Sesshoumaru's Bakusaiga in the process. It was shortly after that that Sesshoumaru's "accessories" had disappeared, although there was a suspicious ashy spot nearby that reeked of a familiar poison…

Hina received many gifts from Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and the others, but they wore off with time. By far Hina's favorite gift was the tiny kimono and matching hairpins. This came from Sesshoumaru and the other demons who served him. She demanded her mother put it on her, and Kagome and Rin had fun putting the hairpins in her silver hair.

"Look, mama, I'm a lady now, just like you!" Hina cried happily. The kimono was bright blue and patterned with swirls of lighter shades and darker shades of blues. The hairpins resembled the same flower symbol of Sesshoumaru's family, but was made out of a dark blue stone. Later in the evening, Sesshoumaru took Rin and Hina somewhere, no one knew, but they did not come back until well after dark.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood in the middle of the field, watching the sunset, the wind blowing steadily and fanning his long, silver hair, and his long fluffy tail. Rin sat, leaning against him happily, while Hina ran around in circles, not quite appreciating the quiet beauty of the sunset.

"Hina-chan, come here," Rin said with a smile, but Hina ignored her. She was too busy making friends with the crickets that were attempting escape from her fast moving hands.

"Hina," Sesshoumaru said, and all that was needed was one word to catch the girl's attention. Now that he had it, Sesshoumaru could not seem to figure out what to say. In fact, the words he managed to get out seemed quite awkward. "Listen to your mother…" he finally said. Rin could not help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand as Hina ran to her, all smiles.

Sesshoumaru averted his gaze and shifted his weight. "What foolish creatures," he said, drawing even more smiles from Rin as Hina hugged her tightly. It was not long before the events of the day and night before had taken their toll on Hina, and the child feel fast asleep in Rin's lap. Gently, Sesshoumaru took her and lay her in the grass, allowing Rin to stand and stretch.

Rin, who was fully grown, came up to Sesshoumaru's chest. She wore a kimono very similar to his; one that he had made with the symbol of his clan especially for her. For the most part, it was white, but along the sleeves and left shoulder was the same pattern that appeared on Sesshoumaru's clothing, except instead of being in red, the pattern was in pink (Rin's choice, of course) and blue. She had grown into quite the beauty; her black hair was long, and she no longer wore the half-ponytail she did as a girl.

The couple stood there in silence, Rin standing close to Sesshoumaru and resting her head against his chest. Although Sesshoumaru made no move to touch her or embrace her, he never moved, standing there, letting his Rin take hold of his hand in both of hers. They stood like this until the sun had completely set, then Rin picked Hina up from her grassy bed. Sesshoumaru took Rin in his arms likewise, and in a flash they were gone, flying towards the village.

As Sesshoumaru landed, he gently sat Rin down on her feet, still holding Hina. Although he said nothing to her, Rin smiled at him. The inu taiyokai stroked her face once as she looked at him, and then placed his hand on Hina's forehead, standing like that for several moments.

Then Rin tilted her head and smiled, though it was a sad smile. "Come back soon, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she said with more enthusiasm than she felt. He nodded slightly, then took off. Rin watched him go, waving vigorously until he was out of sight. Then she turned, and her smile disappeared as she walked into her house.

Sesshoumaru flew towards the Western Lands, his eyes set straight ahead. "Such foolish creatures," he repeated, even though he knew something inside him would hurt if he ever stopped coming.

Without Rin's knowledge, Hina had indeed woken up after being put to bed. Sure that no one was watching, she got up and ran to the window, looking out into the sky. She strained her eyes to see her father, and far away in the distance she saw a quick movement. She gasped happily and waved.

"Bye, papa! Come back soon, okay?" she called quietly. Closing her eyes and smiling, the little hanyou turned around, and crawled sleepily back into bed.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I couldn't help but put a little SessxRin (though mostly Rin) fluff in there. Hina is so adorable :) At least, I think she is! I have two more chapters to write and upload, introducing the last of Sesshoumaru's children, and then I will be getting on to their stories. Some chapters may be more like one-shots; while some may be two-parters. Each chapter can be read (for the most part) in any order, unless I decide to start going somewhere specific with this story!

Remember, this is not exactly a SessxRin story, it's about Sesshoumaru's Legacy. After the introductions, Sesshoumaru and Rin will probably make very few appearances!


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